newbie questions - diet, trt, aas?

[fxhhnp]

Hi all -

I'm 37 years old, 5'9 and currently about 150lbs.

I started training (off and on) when I was 28. At that time I was about 130lbs and wasn't even strong enough to get 135 off the rack, let alone bench or squat it. I've got extremely small joints (I need to customize wrist watches to fit me), very high metabolism, and a piss poor vertical jump. Even though I don't do cardio anymore, when I do, it's extremely easy for me to excel in.

If I bulk for about 6 months and follow Rippetoe then I'll end up with bench 185x5, squat 225x5, deadlift 365x5. Not impressive numbers, but stronger than I normally am. At that point I'm usually about 165lbs and 20% bf.

The problems come for me when I try to tweak things so I don't gain so much fat. If I'm at 10% bf then 150lbs is sort of a brick wall for me. It's very difficult to get past. If I want to get stronger, it seems like I end up at 20% bf or more. I've tried dirty bulking, generic clean bulking, lean gains, etc.

To complicate things somewhat, I had some bloodwork done and my testosterone is at 399 ng/dl (the range is from 280 to 1100). My doctor is willing to write a rx for 200mg of test a week + adex + hcg. It's there if I want it, but I haven't taken it. I think (hope) I can get things working with my diet.

Here is the advice I'm getting from my friends who lift:

Friend A: Take the TRT. Eat a lot and lift heavy.
Friend B: If you're going to take TRT you might as well do your first cycle instead.
Friend C: Don't take exogenous testosterone. Lift hard and dirty bulk for 18 months and then cut.
Friend D: Don't take exogenous testosterone. Find a way to clean bulk. You're probably doing something wrong.

Where should I focus my energy?

Thanks for your help

[dredlifter]

If your insurance covers it I would definitely take the TRT. You will be getting a boast in test, your doctor will monitor you to make sure everything is going well and you will feel better. There really isn't much downside, unless you are terrified of needles or something.

Bring your body fat down a bit and and try TRT. If that doesn't work then consider adding gear.

[OdinsOtherSon]

If your doc is on board, you better get on board! I would wager that you'll feel better in general, working out or not, simply by getting your T levels back into the optimal range. Go for it.

[slfmade]

If your doctor recommends TRT then that could be the ticket. It'd be best to find the root cause first. There could be many reasons for your low t. It'd be best to get that figured out first. Afterwards, if trt still sounds like the best route I would do that. DON'T run a cycle before you start TRT. If you really want to run a cycle, start your trt and make the most of your gains from that. It will help a lot on it own. Later on down the road you can still cycle with larger amounts, but by starting trt first and building a strong base first you'll avoid a lot of problems.

[fxhhnp]

Thanks guys. Appreciated.